is a

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other ...

of classical

Japanese poetry Japanese poetry is poetry typical of Japan, or written, spoken, or chanted in the Japanese language, which includes Old Japanese, Early Middle Japanese, Late Middle Japanese, and Modern Japanese, as well as poetry in Japan which was written ...

and one of the major genres of

Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japan ...

Etymology

Originally, in the time of the ''

Man'yōshū The is the oldest extant collection of Japanese (poetry in Classical Japanese), compiled sometime after AD 759 during the Nara period. The anthology is one of the most revered of Japan's poetic compilations. The compiler, or the last in ...

'' (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to distinguish "short poems" from the longer . In the ninth and tenth centuries, however, notably with the compilation of the '' Kokinshū'', the short poem became the dominant form of poetry in Japan, and the originally general word ''waka'' became the standard name for this form. Japanese poet and critic

Masaoka Shiki , pen-name of Masaoka Noboru (正岡升), was a Japanese poet, author, and literary critic in Meiji period Japan. Shiki is regarded as a major figure in the development of modern haiku poetry, credited with writing nearly 20,000 stanzas during ...

revived the term ''tanka'' in the early twentieth century for his statement that ''waka should be renewed and modernized''. ''

Haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 ''On (Japanese prosody), on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, ...

'' is also a term of his invention, used for his revision of standalone hokku, with the same idea.

Form

Tanka consist of five units (often treated as separate lines when romanized or translated) usually with the following pattern of '' on'' (often treated as, roughly, the number of syllables per unit or line): :5-7-5-7-7. The 5-7-5 is called the , and the 7-7 is called the .

History

Modern

During the Kojiki and Nihonshoki periods the tanka retained a well defined form, but the history of the mutations of the tanka itself forms an important chapter in

haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 ''On (Japanese prosody), on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, ...

history, until the modern revival of tanka began with several poets who began to publish literary magazines, gathering their friends and disciples as contributors. Yosano Tekkan and the poets that were associated with his ''

Myōjō was a monthly literary magazine published in Japan between April 1900 and November 1908. The name ''Myōjō'' can be translated as either Bright Star or Morning Star. History and profile The magazine was established in 1900. It was the organ o ...

'' magazine were one example, but that magazine was fairly short-lived (Feb. 1900 Nov. 1908). A young high school student, Otori You (later known as

Akiko Yosano Yosano Akiko ( Shinjitai: , seiji: ; 7 December 1878 – 29 May 1942) was the pen-name of a Japanese author, poet, pioneering feminist, pacifist, and social reformer, active in the late Meiji era as well as the Taishō and early Shōwa era ...

), and

Ishikawa Takuboku was a Japanese poet. Well known as both a tanka and or poet, he began as a member of the Myōjō group of naturalist poets but later joined the "socialistic" group of Japanese poets and renounced naturalism. He died of tuberculosis. Major wo ...

contributed to ''Myōjō''. In 1980 the ''New York Times'' published a representative work:

's (1867–1902) poems and writing (as well as the work of his friends and disciples) have had a more lasting influence. The magazine '' Hototogisu'', which he founded, still publishes. In the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

(1868–1912), Shiki claimed the situation with waka should be rectified, and waka should be modernized in the same way as other things in the country. He praised the style of ''

'' as manly, as opposed to the style of ''

Kokin Wakashū The , commonly abbreviated as , is an early anthology of the '' waka'' form of Japanese poetry, dating from the Heian period. An imperial anthology, it was conceived by Emperor Uda () and published by order of his son Emperor Daigo () in abou ...

'', the model for waka for a thousand years, which he denigrated and called feminine. He praised Minamoto no Sanetomo, the third ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' of the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Yo ...

, who was a disciple of

Fujiwara no Teika , better-known as Fujiwara no Teika"Sadaie" and "Teika" are both possible readings of ; "...there is the further problem, the rendition of the name in romanized form. Teika probably referred to himself as Sadaie, and his father probably called ...

and composed waka in a style much like that in the ''

''.

Ceremony of the Utakai Hajime around 1950

Following Shiki's death, in the Taishō period (1912–26), Mokichi Saitō and his friends began publishing a magazine, '' Araragi'', which praised the ''

''. Using their magazine they spread their influence throughout the country. Their modernization aside, in the court the old traditions still prevailed. The court continues to hold many ''utakai'' (waka reading parties) both officially and privately. The utakai that the Emperor holds on the first of the year is called '' Utakai Hajime'' and it is an important event for waka poets; the Emperor himself releases a single tanka for the public's perusal. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, waka began to be considered out-of-date, but since the late 1980s it has revived under the example of contemporary poets, such as

Machi Tawara is a contemporary Japanese writer, translator and poet. Tawara is most famous as a contemporary poet. She is credited with revitalizing the tanka for modern Japanese audiences. Her skill as a translator consist of translating classical Japanese ...

. With her 1987 bestselling collection ''Salad Anniversary'', the poet has been credited with revitalising the tanka for modern audiences. Today there are many circles of tanka poets. Many newspapers have a weekly tanka column, and there are many professional and amateur tanka poets; Makoto Ōoka's poetry column was published seven days a week for more than 20 years on the front page of ''

Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition an ...

.'' As a parting gesture, outgoing PM

Jun'ichirō Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi (; , ''Koizumi Jun'ichirō'' ; born 8 January 1942) is a former Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2009. He is ...

wrote a tanka to thank his supporters. The

Japanese imperial family The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the House of Yamato, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor i ...

continue to write tanka for the

New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system to ...

Poetic culture

In ancient times, it was a custom between two writers to exchange waka instead of letters in prose. In particular, it was common between lovers. Reflecting this custom, five of the twenty volumes of the Kokin Wakashū gathered waka for love. In the Heian period the lovers would exchange waka in the morning when lovers met at the woman's home. The exchanged waka were called ''Kinuginu'' (後朝), because it was thought the man wanted to stay with his lover and when the sun rose he had almost no time to put on his clothes on which he had lain instead of a mattress (it being the custom in those days). Works of this period, ''

The Pillow Book is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian-period Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. The work is a collection ...

'' and '' The Tale of Genji'' provide us with such examples in the life of aristocrats.

Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period. She is best known as the author of '' The Tale of Genji,'' widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between abou ...

uses 795 waka in her ''The Tale of Genji'' as waka her characters made in the story. Some of these are her own, although most are taken from existing sources. Shortly, making and reciting waka became a part of aristocratic culture. They recited a part of appropriate waka freely to imply something on an occasion. Much like with tea, there were a number of rituals and events surrounding the composition, presentation, and judgment of waka. There were two types of waka party that produced occasional poetry: ''Utakai'' and ''

Uta-awase , poetry contests or '' waka'' matches, are a distinctive feature of the Japanese literary landscape from the Heian period. Significant to the development of Japanese poetics, the origin of group composition such as ''renga'', and a stimulus to ...

''. Utakai was a party in which all participants wrote a waka and recited them. Utakai derived from Shikai, Kanshi party and was held in occasion people gathered like seasonal party for the New Year, some celebrations for a newborn baby, a birthday, or a newly built house. ''Utaawase'' was a contest in two teams. Themes were determined and a chosen poet from each team wrote a waka for a given theme. The judge appointed a winner for each theme and gave points to the winning team. The team which received the largest sum was the winner. The first recorded Utaawase was held in around 885. At first, Utaawase was playful and mere entertainment, but as the poetic tradition deepened and grew, it turned into a serious aesthetic contest, with considerably more formality.

Poets

* Ochiai Naobumi (1861-1903) *

(1867–1902) *

Yosano Akiko Yosano Akiko (Shinjitai: , seiji: ; 7 December 1878 – 29 May 1942) was the pen-name of a Japanese author, poet, pioneering feminist, pacifist, and social reformer, active in the late Meiji era as well as the Taishō and early Shōwa eras of ...

(1878–1942) *

(1886–1912) * Saitō Mokichi (1882–1953) * Itō Sachio (1864–1913) *

Kitahara Hakushū Kitahara (written: ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Hakushū Kitahara is the pen-name of , a Japanese ''tanka'' poet active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. He is regarded as one of the most po ...

(1885–1942) * Suiko Sugiura (1885–1960) * Nagatsuka Takashi (1879–1915) *

Okamoto Kanoko , born , was the pen-name of a Japanese author, tanka poet, and Buddhist scholar active during the Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan. Early life Kanoko's maiden name was Ōnuki Kano. She was born in Aoyama, Akasaka-ku (present day Minat ...

(1889–1939) *

Wakayama Bokusui was the pen-name of , a Japanese author noted for his poetry in pre-World War II Japan. Life Wakayama was born in Togo, Miyazaki, (now part of the city of Hyūga) as the eldest son of a doctor. He became interested in poetry from middle schoo ...

(1885–1928) *

Orikuchi Shinobu , also known as , was a Japanese ethnologist, linguist, folklorist, novelist, and poet. As a disciple of Kunio Yanagita, he established an original academic field named , which is a mixture of Japanese folklore, Japanese classics, and Shintō. He ...

(1887–1953) under the pseudonym Shaku Choku * Jun Fujita (1888-1963) * Terayama Shuji (1935–1983) * Tawara Machi (born 1962) *

Yukio Mishima , born , was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, nationalist, and founder of the , an unarmed civilian militia. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. He was considered fo ...

(1925–1970) *

Akiko Baba (born January 28, 1928) is a Japanese tanka poet and literary critic. Her real name is . Overviews She also has an interest in Noh drama, and her works have been performed at the National Theatre of Japan. ''Heavenly Maiden Tanka'' is a colle ...

Fumiko Nakajō Fumiko Nakajō (中城ふみ子 ''Nakajō Fumiko'', real name 野江富美子 ''Noe Fumiko'', November 25, 1922 in Obihiro, Hokkaidō – August 3, 1954 in Sapporo) was a Japanese tanka poet. Life Fumiko Nakajō attended the Tokyo Academy of Hom ...

Nakajima Utako Nakajima Utako (; 14 December 1844, Tokyo – 30 January 1903) was a Japanese ''Waka (poetry), waka'' and ''tanka'' poet and conservatory founder. Associated with Keien court poetry, she founded the Haginoya poetry school (萩の舎, "House of Bus ...

(1844–1903) *

Chūya Nakahara , born , was a Japanese poet active during the early Shōwa period. Originally shaped by Dada and other forms of European (mainly French) experimental poetry, he was one of the leading renovators of Japanese poetry. Although he died at the young ...

(1907-1937)

References

Bibliography

*Keene, Donald, ''Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era - Poetry, Drama, Criticism (A History of Japanese Literature, Volume 4)'', Columbia University Press, 1999

Modern anthologies

*Nakano, Jiro, ''Outcry from the Inferno: Atomic Bomb Tanka Anthology'', Honolulu, Hawaii, Bamboo Ridge Press 1995 04 pp. 103 tanka by 103 poets*Shiffert, Edith, and Yuki Sawa, editors and translators, ''Anthology of Modern Japanese Poetry'', Rutland, Vermont, Tuttle, 1972 * Ueda, Makoto, ''Modern Japanese Tanka: An Anthology'', NY: Columbia University Press, 1996 cloth pbk 57 pp. 400 tanka by 20 poets

Modern translations

Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese ''waka'' by one hundred poets. ''Hyakunin isshu'' can be translated to "one hundred people, one poem ach; it can also refer to the card game of '' uta-garuta'', which uses a deck compo ...

. ''100 Poems by 100 Poets''. Trans. Clay MacCauley
Appendix
* Baba, Akiko. ''Heavenly Maiden Tanka.'' Trans. Hatsue Kawamura and Jane Reichhold. Gualala CA:AHA Books, 1999 * Nakajō, Fumiko. ''Breasts of Snow.'' Trans. Hatsue Kawamura and Jane Reichhold. Tokyo:The Japan Times Press, 2004 *Saito, Fumi. ''White Letter Poems.'' Trans. Hatsue Kawamura and Jane Reichhold. Gualala CA: AHA Books, 1998

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanka (Poetry) Japanese poetic forms Japanese literary terminology Waka (poetry)